The performance of a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell depends on design and operating parameters such as relative humidity, operation pressure, and number of channels and direction of the flow of reactant gases. In this study, a three-dimensional, two-phase model has been established to investigate the water management and performance of PEM fuel cell with rectangular geometry and 1 serpentine and 4-serpentine with parallel flow, counter flow and cross flow for hydrogen and oxygen. The numerical simulation was realized with a PEM fuel cell model based on the FLUENT. The active area of each cell is 24.8 cm(2) that its weight is 1300 gr. The material of the gas diffusion layer is carbon clothes, the membrane is nafion117 and the catalyst layer is a plane with 0.004 g cm(-2) platinum. Pure hydrogen is used on the anode side and oxygen on the cathode side. Simulation results are obtained for voltage as a function of current density at different humidity. The simulation results are compared with the experimental data, and the agreement is found to be good. The results show that the cell performance at lower voltages increases with increasing humidity in cell with 4-Serpentine flow channel and also in cell with 1-Serpentine flow channel, cell performance at all voltages increases with increasing humidity. In cell with 4-Serpentine and parallel flow channel cell performance is better than counter and cross flow in low voltage and in cell with 1-Serpentine and parallel flow, performance is better than counter and cross flow in high voltage. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.